Mail-box



W. B. AND V. D, SMITH. M/IIL sox.

APPLICATION' FILED FEB. 7.I9I9.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 l IIII.

IIIII ftousul UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. SMITH AND VERNA I). SMITH, 0F LANSING, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June S, 1920.

Application filed February 7. 1919. Serial No. 275,631.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, NILLiAM B. SMITH and Vaima D. SMITH, citizens of the United States of America, residing vat Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

T his invention relates to mail boxes, and has special reference to an audible signal adapted to indicate when letters, `cards and other matter are deposited in the mail box, and such an equipment is particularly advantageous for large apartment houses Jdats and buildings where the mail is delivered in vestibules, hallways or places some distance from the parties for whom the mail is intended, and with such equipment the parties will be notified that mail is awaiting them and thus obvia-te many useless trips to a mail box to determine whether the same contains mail.

Our invention aims to provide an automatically actuated electric audible signal and may be readily installed, to indicate by an alarm, that mail has been deposited in a box equipped with the signal. The mechanical construction entering into the signal is extremely simple, durable and positive in its action, and this construction will be hereinafter described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a mail box or receptacle in accordance with our invention, and

Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the same,

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a wall or suitable support having an opening or recess 2 normally closed by a wall plate (3, which may be connected to the wall 1 by screws 1. The wall plate 3 has an opening 5 and at the inner side of the wall plate and over the opening 5 thereof is a box or receptacle 6 which is preferably semicylindrical so as to present an inner concave guide surface for a letter, card, or other mail matter, which must descend or slide toward the bottomv of the box without lodging orv becoming fixed in the upper portion thereof.

Hinged or pivoted on the outer face of the wall plate 3, at the lower end of the opening l5, is door 7 adapted to normally close the bei; 6.; said door having' a conventional form of lock 8 and a slot 9 normally closed by a flap 10. The slot 9 permits of letters, cards or other matter beingudeposited in the box 6 and such matter can be obtained by opening` the door 7.

On the inner face of the wall plate 3 is a housing 11 and mounted in said housing and insulated therefrom, as at 12, is a bearing 13 having the` upper end thereof provided with a pivoted normally unbalanced arm 14. The arm 111 is in proximity to the box 6 and protrudes through a slot 15 in the lower portion of said box, so that mail matter may impinge upon the end of said arm and tilt the arm to bring the outer weighted end thereof'into positive engagement with a contact member 16 carried by and insulated from the housing 11. rllhe arm 141 has its ends formed to provide a weight 18 and lugs 17, one of which prevents mail matter from sliding off of said arm and the other of which provides a contact point to engage the contact member 16.

Associated with the arm 14 and the contact member 16, which constitutes an automatic switch are a suitable source of electrical energy, as battery cells 21, a buzzer, electric bell, enunciator or other electric alarm 22, and a manually operated switch 23. These devices are electrically connected by wires 24 placing the automatic switch (contact member 16 and arm 111) in an open circuit which is adapted to be closed by mail matter deposited in the box 6.

The wall plate 3 may constitute a base or support for an electric door bell push button 25 and a speaking tube 26, both of which have been shown conveniently located relative to the mail box.

In practice, the switch 23 and the audible signal 22 are locatedin the apartment represented by the mail box, and when a letter is deposited in the box 6 it rides against the arm 14, tilts said arm and causes the outer end thereof to engage the contact member 16, thereby closing the circuit for the audible signal 22. As this signal is given the occupants of the compartment are notified that there is mail matter in the box 6, and by opening the switch 23 the circuit can be broken. After the mail matter is obtained by opening the door 7, the weight 18V restores the arm to normal open position and then the switch 23 can be closed, so that the next time mail is deposited in the box 6, the audible signal will indicate that the box contains something for the owner or person having access to the box.

It is thought that the operation and utility of our invention will be apparent Without further description, and While in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such Variations and modilications as fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

lVhat We claim is A inail box comprising a Wall plate having an opening, a semi-cylindrical receptacle carried by the inner face oii said Wall plate over the opening` thereof, said receptacle having a slot in the bottom thereof, a door carried by the ,outer face ot said Wall -Jlato and normal] closinn` the oieninq n L.

thereof, a housing carried by the inner 'face of said wall plate and extending on to said receptacle in communication With the slot thereof, a bearing in said housing, a contact member in said housing, a Contact arm carried by said bearing and extending 2 through the slot of said receptacle and adapted to be tilted by mail mattei' deposited in the receptacle to engage said contact member, and means associated with said contact arm to maintain it normally in engagement With the upper Wall of the receptacle slot.

In testimony whereof We a'lIix our signatures in presence of tivo Witnesses.

VILLIAM B. SMITH. VERNA D. SMITH.

lVitnesses B. KENNEDY, RUTH KENNEDY. 

